Veterans Administration to Use Encryption

By Jimmy Daniels
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

Looks like the Veterans Administration may have learned something from the loss of the laptop and its subsequent return, as reported by Michael, they have hired two “mobile security specialist” companies to impose new data encryption on all of its desktop computers, laptops, and thumb drives.

In a press release trumpeting the initiative, VA Secretary Jim Nicholson said that the agency-wide encryption program will be “a tremendous step forward in improving the safety and security of sensitive veteran information.”

Nicholson claimed that final testing of the new encryption products was underway, and that all of the agency’s laptop computers would be updated and protected within four weeks.

Not only did the VA reveal that two other security breaches had occurred in the past twelve months and were kept quiet, it suffered another blow when a desktop computer containing information on thousands of veterans was stolen from Unisys, a technology services company contracting with the VA to process insurance claims. Source: ConsumerAffairs.com

We Say: This certainly is a huge step in the right direction, but such data should probably never be allowed to be taken home by someone either, but what do I know, I’m just a tax payer. The consumer affairs article lists many other data breaches as well, from the Department of Transportation, the Justice Department and the Navy, to name a few.